The
Sperry lower ball turret wasused intheBoeingB-17FlyingfortressandtheConsolidatedB-24Liberator. The ball turret was mounted underneath the aircraft and was
used to defend the bomber against aircraft attacking from below.

The
turret mounted two Browning 50 caliber machine guns that would fire750 to 850 bullets in a minute , thatís about 14 bullets a
second. Statistically, the ball turret was one of the safest crew
positions during WWII as ball turret gunners had the lowest loss rate.

To
get in the turret the gunner would manually crank the guns straight down after
take off. He could then open the hatch and would climb in. Once inside he could
turn on the turrets electrical and hydraulic power. The gunner would lie inside
the turret in a fetal position and would sight between his legs through the
circular glass. The turret was powered by an electric motor that drove two
Vickers hydraulic units. One for azimuth (sideways) and one for elevation (up
and down). The gunner had two handles to control the turret with. On top of
these handles were the buttons for firing the guns.

Since
the B-24 had very low ground clearance, a retracting mechanism was used to raise
and lower the turretfor take off and landing.

THE TURRET ON DISPLAY IS A NEW OLD STOCK SPERRY BALL TURRET
THAT
WAS STILL MOUNTED ON ITS ORIGINAL SHIPPING SKID AND HAS BEEN IN STORAGE SINCE IT
WAS MANUFACTURED 60 YEARS AGO.

NOTE THE EARLY STYLE GLASS CONFIGURATION. MANY OF THESE PANES
WERE ELIMINATED ON THE LATER BALL TURRETS. ALL OF THE PLEXIGLAS AND
OPTICAL GLASS IS ORIGINAL FROM THE FACTORY.

HERE YOU CAN SEE THROUGH THE ROUND OPTICAL GLASS THAT THE
GUNNER WOULD SIGHT THROUGH.

Click on the image for a larger
picture

ONE OF THE MOST UNIQUE FEATURES OF THIS TURRET IS THAT ALL OF
THE ORIGINAL STENCILING, DECALS AND PLACARDS ARE FULLY INTACT.

HERE ARE THE INTERNALLY MOUNTED STAINLESS STEEL AMMO CANS WITH
ALL OF THE FACTORY INSPECTION STAMPS AND STENCILS STILL INTACT. THE STENCILED
BULLETS WERE TO REMIND THE ARMORER WHICH WAY TO LOAD THE AMMUNITION.

ONE WONDERS HOW THIS DECAL CAME ABOUT. PROBABLY THROUGH
A LESSON LEARNED THE HARD WAY.

THIS IS THE ENTRY
HATCH. WHEN THE GUNS POINTED STRAIGHT DOWN THE GUNNER COULD GET IN THE TURRET
FROM INSIDE THE AIRCRAFT. WHEN THE GUNS WERE POSITIONED HORIZONTALLY THE GUNNER
COULD OPEN THE HATCH TO THE OUTSIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT. THEORETICALLY THE GUNNER
COULD BAIL OUT OF THE TURRET IN FLIGHT. TYPICALLY THE GUNNER WOULD STOW HIS
PARACHUTE INSIDE THE AIRCRAFT SO AS TO GIVE HIM MORE ROOM IN THE CRAMPED TURRET.
IF THE GUNNER HAD TO BAIL OUT HE WOULD TURN THE GUNS DOWN AND CRAWL THROUGH THE
FUSELAGE TO BAIL OUT FROM THE REAR HATCH.

EVEN THE QUALITY ASSURANCE DECALS ARE STILL PRESENT ON THE
TURRET. THIS TURRET IS A STUDY IN WWII MANUFACTURING AND PROCESSES.

THE INSIDE OF THE TURRET IS ALSO IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. ONLY
THE PADDING ON THE ARMOR PLATE SEAT SHOWS ITS AGE. NOTE THE SPERRY COMPUTING K-4 GUN SIGHT IN THE UPPER
LEFT CORNER. THIS WAS A HIGHLY ADVANCED COMPUTER FOR 1942 WHICH HELPED TO REDUCE
THE WORK LOAD OF THE GUNNER BY COMPUTING LEAD AND ELEVATION SOLUTIONS
AUTOMATICALLY. ANOTHER INTERESTING PLACARD IS SCREEN PRINTED ON THE GUNNERS
SEAT. USE MODIFIED B-8 PARACHUTE. IF YOU HAVE ANY REFERENCE TO THIS MODIFICATION
PLEASE LET ME KNOW.

Click on the image for a larger
picture

Jimmy Ricketts has been at it
again. Here is the finished ball turret stand that Jim built. The stand was
designed after an original WWII turret stand that I saw in storage at the
National Air and Space Museum. It was made using the same tubing size and gusset
patterns but we only put a ladder in on one side instead of both sides like the
original. The stand is sitting on top of a WWII bomb service trailer made by
Saginaw Stamping and Tool. This stand has made the ball turret fully functional
and it was taken on its maiden flight by the famous 8th Air Force ball turret
gunner Wilbur Richardson. At our Gunnery Symposium he demonstrated the ball
turret to a big crowd and then answered questions from atop the turret. It was a
great display which was made possible by Jimmy Ricketts. Thanks Jimmy for all of
your outstanding work!

TO ALL OF OUR
COUNTRY'S VETERANS, WE HERE AT VINTAGE AIRCRAFT WOULD LIKE TO SAY: